Video Cooking Ingredient Tips

When a recipe calls for chicken stock, it is best if you use homemade; however, in a pinch, you can find some some quick, easy options right on the supermarket shelf.

This video will show you how to buy and prepare one of the most delicious tropical fruits.

All canned tomatoes are not created equal. Many cans contain preservatives and a lot of salt. Here we will show you how to choose the best canned tomatoes so you can enjoy the best tomato flavor.

When cutting a squash, take extra care to do it safely. You don't need to attend a cooking school to master this important knife skill.

Presentation is all about the little things. By cutting a fancy lemon or lime wedge, you can add that extra special touch.

There are many recipes in cooking or baking that require only an egg yolk or an egg white. This quick culinary tip video will show you two easy ways to achieve separate the two.

Removing the skin from fruit such as a tomato, peach or even plums is easy with a quick blanch and an ice bath.

Here's an easy way to pit and dice the avocado fruit to make delicious guacamole, salsa or just to add to a salad.

Many gourmet salts are on the market these days. Kosher salt, sea salt, fleure de sel or grey salt, whether mined from the earth or harvested from the sea, can enhance the flavor of any dish. While table salt can bring out and accent the flavor of food, it's worth it to try a few others as they all have different qualities.

Use this easy knife skill to obtain beautiful citrus segments for a tart or salad.

Cornmeal is made from ground corn and is commonly known as polenta. Cornmeal comes in a variety of different grinds from fine to coarse. Finer cornmeal is typically used in recipes such as cornbread or corn muffins.

Somewhat similar to soy sauce, both Bragg and tamari can be used as a condiment. They are popular in Chinese recipes and other Asian cuisines.

Pandan leaves are popular in Southeast Asia. They add an exotic flavor and fragrance to any curry or rice recipe.

Kaiware sprouts are also know as radish sprouts and are used in salads, sushi or as a garnish in Asian cuisine. This highly-flavored, yet delicate sprout, has a short shelf life.

Bamboo shoots are the edible portion of a bamboo plant which is a member of the grass family. Bamboo shoots are often added to Chinese food and other Asian inspired dishes. They have a crisp texture and mild flavor.

Popular in many Middle Eastern or Asian cultures, crispy fried onions add flavor to any rice, curry or soup recipe.

Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs from Provence, France which typically include lavender, rosemary, thyme, basil and bay leaf.

The kaffir lime has a distinct flavor and aroma unlike a common lime. It is native to Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and is most commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine.

Tomatillos are green in color and have a very tart flavor. They are often used when preparing Mexican food to make delicious salsa or sauces.

Cauliflower is a member of the same family as cabbage and broccoli and is grown in quite a few colors. Here we show you how to buy and prepare cauliflower. It can be enjoyed raw or cooked in a variety of ways.

Fresh garlic makes a difference, so don't just grab the first head of garlic you see at the supermarket. Here's what to look for when buying and prepping garlic for your favorite recipe.

Any seafood or shellfish is always best purchased fresh from a reputable fish monger. Make sure the mussels you purchase are alive and smell of nothing but the sea. Here we show you tips on how to buy, store and clean fresh mussels.

There are a few things to look for when buying fresh shrimp or prawns. Like any seafood, it should be as fresh as possible.

Coconut milk is derived from the meat of a mature coconut. Coconut milk is a common ingredient in many tropical cuisines, most notably those of Southeast Asia and is often used when making Thai curry.

The olive is the fruit from the olive tree. Until olives are brined, they are inedible. Whole olives are superior in flavor to olives that already have the pit removed. Here we show you how to pit olives yourself, so you can add the best flavor to any recipe.

What is the difference between a chocolate bar you find in a supermarket and chocolate made by a fine chocolatier? If you don’t know how chocolate is made or processed or how to buy it, you can easily be fooled by marketers.

In this lesson, you will learn about the cacao tree and how cocoa beans are manufactured. You will learn about cocoa powder, dutching and cocoa butter. You will learn how chocolate is processed into varieties of dark, milk and white chocolate. By understanding the process, this will help you to better determine what quality chocolate is and what to look for when reading the ingredients on packages, as well as understanding what the percentage really means. Finally, you will learn how to judge and properly taste a variety of chocolates to find out which type of chocolate you prefer most.

Fresh and crisp salad greens are a healthy and refreshing part of a balanced diet. These days, the markets are filled with an array of vibrant greens. One can literally make a unique salad every day of the week that will vary in color, composition and flavor. By using a variety of greens, salads will not only look visually stunning, but they will taste great.

In this lesson, you will learn how to choose and identify an assortment of salad greens. You will learn how to clean and refresh greens and how to dry and store them. You will also learn how to properly dress and toss a salad and how to combine greens in order to compose different salads.

Gone are the days of boring salads. By having a supply of clean, seasonal greens in the refrigerator, you will be inspired to put together a fresh, crisp and healthy salad on a regular basis. Whether served as a whole meal or a simple side, salads are easy to work into your cooking repertoire.

The first and most important step in becoming a good cook is to have a good set of knives and just a few are enough to get any new cook started on a successful culinary path.

The function of your knives is to get your hands started – to train them to prep and move ingredients effectively from the cutting board into your pots and pans and finally on to the dinner plate.

In this lesson, you will learn what is included in a basic knife set. You will also learn about four styles of chef’s knives and how to determine which chef’s knife is right for you because out of all of these knives, the chef’s knife will be your most used tool in the kitchen.

Even though the market is filled with various styles of knives, it all comes down to finding a chef’s knife that fits your own hand – for it will be THAT knife that will take your cooking to much higher levels.

One of the main reasons why high-end steak houses serve incredible steaks is because they know how to identify premium cuts of beef.

Before the cooking even starts, the first step in duplicating that restaurant-quality steak at home is to understand what you are buying and what to look for in a premium cut. Because there are so many different steaks available, identifying a quality cut can be an overwhelming experience; however, the good news is once you learn some very basic knowledge, it will be extremely easy to go to the market and spot a quality steak.

In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the most popular premium cuts of steak that are on the market. You will also learn about the importance of marbling…and how the type of aging impacts both the quality and cost of meat. You will also learn a few tips for how to choose the most appropriate steak to suit the type of meal you are making. Although many delicious steaks come from various parts of the steer, in this lesson, we are going to focus on the premium cuts of beef.

By learning how to choose premium steaks, not only will you be spending your money wisely but you will be well on your way to creating delicious, restaurant-quality steaks at home.

Wheat is one of the most common grains used in every day foods. In this lesson you get an "inside look" into gluten - the magical component in wheat that enables us to make so many wonderful products. You will learn what gluten is, where it comes from, and when gluten is and isn’t your friend.

While there is a big difference between fresh, laminated, pasta and dried, extruded, pasta, contrary to popular belief, one is not necessarily better than the other. Both are appreciated for their unique qualities and are used for different purposes.

Another big misconception is that all pasta is made in the same manner and is sold either fresh or dried; however, this is not the case. Although they may contain the same ingredients, the difference lies in HOW the dough is formed into pasta. How pasta is manufactured will dramatically affect your pasta experience.

In this lesson, you will learn how both extruded and laminated pasta are made, the differences between them and when you might choose one over the other. You will also learn that regardless of the brand, there are visual clues you can look for when choosing a package of dried pasta or things to be aware of when you are purchasing fresh. By understanding how pasta is made and knowing how to identify quality pasta, you are guaranteed to have the best pasta eating experiences.

All chefs and seasoned cooks make their own vinaigrettes and dressings. They are extremely easy to make and most importantly, the cook is in complete control of what goes into them. Most manufactured vinaigrettes and dressings contain a long list of unnatural ingredients and preservatives. When you learn the simple technique of making your own, you have the freedom to personalize the flavor by using fresh, quality ingredients.

In this lesson you will learn the difference between unstable and stable emulsions and the difference between vinaigrettes and dressings. We will teach you how to build a basic vinaigrette, using a variety of oils and acids. Once you learn how to make a basic vinaigrette, you will learn simple ways to flavor this kitchen staple. Finally, you will learn how to match vinaigrettes to various types of greens.

Vinaigrettes are multi-functional and should not be reserved just for salads. Whether you are marinating foods, dressing fish or shellfish, or if you want to add a punch of flavor to steamed vegetables or grains, vinaigrettes are an extremely easy way to expand your culinary repertoire.